Monica McWilliams of Northern Ireland describes her experiences as a negotiator for peace. As a member of the Women Waging Peace Network, Ms. McWilliams has been able to share her experiences and expertise with women leaders across the globe.
This article was originally published by Save Darfur/United to End Genocide. This week, the African Union/United Nations Chief Mediator Djibril Bassolé will begin consultations with 150 Darfuri civil society representatives in Doha, Qatar. Rather than focusing on this important gathering though, the media over the weekend strangely focused on the postponement of negotiations between the […]
Women are alarmingly underrepresented in negotiations. In 2009, the UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) found in a review of 21 major peace processes held since 1992 that women were less than 8 percent of the delegates to talks and less than 3 percent of agreement signatories. This publication documents two of Inclusive Security’s consultative […]
As leaders in civil society, particularly during and following violent conflict, women are critical players in peace negotiations. In formal negotiations, they raise often-ignored political and social issues, ensure that the voices of victims and civilians are consistently heard, and build bridges among negotiating parties. They also have a solid record of successfully bringing together […]
This article was originally published by Enough Project. Speaking last week at a panel discussion hosted by the Nobel Women’s Initiative in Washington, D.C., Nobel laureate Wangari Maathai discussed prospects for peace in Sudan and had these wise words on the future of a credible peace process in Darfur and throughout the country: “It is […]
This article was originally published by Inter Press Service. The international community must act immediately to resolve the political and humanitarian crises facing Sudan, said a panel of leading Sudan experts at a briefing here Tuesday, and ensure that any peace process formally include women’s input. “We were heartened by the Qatar process, and the […]
Published in 2009, Inclusive Security: A Curriculum for Women Waging Peace is a resource for policymakers and practitioners who want to better include women in peace processes. This unique tool draws on more than a decade of original research and training by The Institute for Inclusive Security and accomplished women peace builders from areas including […]
This article was originally published by Common Ground News Service. While it’s encouraging that two women—Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni—were key players in the Annapolis conference last week, the fact that women are central in the negotiations will only have an impact if the subsequent talks are structured to […]
This article was originally published by The Washington Times. Negotiations around Darfur get underway this week. To succeed mediators must build on past successes and learn from past mistakes. Otherwise, Sudan will risk a return to broader conflict. A few key lessons should guide the way that the United Nations and African Union handle the […]
This article was originally published by The New York Times. Last month in Sudan I worked with Darfuri women leaders to prepare for peace negotiations set to take place in Libya later this month. They defined priorities and next steps, and committed to continued collaboration and communication. Although they represented a wide variety of ethnicities […]
